This central component of a computer system is responsible for executing programs. The kernel takes responsibility for deciding at any time which of the many running programs should be allocated to the processor or processors.
A kernel is the core part of an operating system. It acts as a bridge between software applications and the hardware of a computer. The kernel manages system resources, such as the CPU, memory and devices, ensuring everything works together smoothly and efficiently.
The stable release of Linux Kernel 6.18 was officially tagged on November 30, 2025. It’s expected to become this year’s major long-term support (LTS) kernel, something many users and distributions care about.
The Linux 6.18 stable kernel has officially been released, bringing a lot of major performance improvements and crucial hardware support. This new kernel is packed with features, touching everything from storage and networking to graphics and Apple hardware support.
Explore the Linux kernel, from its core role within the operating system to the mechanisms it uses to manage processes, memory, file systems, and hardware.
Linux kernel 6.18 gets the Tyr driver, bringing Rust-based GPU support for Arm Mali CSF GPUs. Jointly developed by Collabora, Google, and Arm, it is a Rust port of the Panthor driver. The driver remains experimental. It can power up the GPU, query hardware metadata through MMIO, and provide metadata to userspace via the DRM device ioctl.
What Is a Kernel? A kernel is the central or essential part of a computer’s operating system. It’s the main layer between the software running on your computer and its hardware. Ahead, we’ll explain what a kernel is, the various types of kernels, and what they do in an operating system. You can break most operating systems into these three layers:
What is a kernel? A kernel is the essential foundation of a computer's operating system (OS). It's the core that provides basic services for all other parts of the OS.
The last new kernel release of 2025 is here, and it's looking likely this will be the new LTS kernel release. On the last Sunday of November, Linus Torvalds announced Linux 6.18, the kernel that Ari Lemmke named after him in 1991. It's the last kernel release of the year, and that means it is highly likely 6.18 will be the next Long Term Support (LTS) kernel. As usual, there are lots of new ...